New Releases for February 11, 2014

Back again with their unique brand of Europop-infused hardcore, Abandon All Ships is following up their debut album Geeving (2010) and sophomore release Infamous (2012).

Band Of Horses – Acoustic At The Ryman CD/LP+MP3 (Brown Records)

A 10-song virtual “greatest hits” set of acoustic renditions of songs from across the Band Of Horses catalog, recorded at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium over two nights in April 2013. Available on CD and on HQ-180gm vinyl.

Frankie Ballard – Sunshine & Whiskey CD (Warner Nashville)

The title couldn’t be more fitting for the rising newcomer, who has launched into the Top 20 at Country radio with the smash “Helluva Life.”

Features four brand new songs from Bastard Noise and nine new songs from Lack Of Interest.

Bavaria – We’ll Take A Dive CD/LP (n5MD)

Bavaria is John Tejada and Kimi Recor. While We’ll Take A Dive is the first for the duo’s newly cemented partnership they have appeared as guests on each other’s releases for nearly a decade. They decided to exclude any extraneous instrumentation so that Tejada could focus solely on his modular synth programming while Recor took on the role to provide that all-too-vital human element by way of her silky vocal delivery. The album highlights the duo’s deftness in getting maximal use from their instruments of choice while creating a superb darkly hued electronic pop album that showcases its own unique strain of affecting tension and restraint.

Bike For Three! – So Much Forever CD (Fake Four Inc.)

Bike For Three! is Joëlle Lê and Buck 65. Their new album, So Much Forever, opens with the sound of a solitary heart beating underscored by Joëlle’s eerie, soothing atmospherics. From there the urgency of “Full Moon” kicks in and Buck 65 is at the podium, unraveling his innermost thoughts through tightly knit stanzas and abstracted fragments. Vinyl version due March 25.

Blondfire – Young Heart CD/LP (Tender Tender Rush)

Blondfire is songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Erica Driscoll and her brother Bruce. The two have been playing together since they were kids growing up in Grand Rapids, MI. Their new album channels the irresistible synth-pop feel of British new wave bands like Depeche Mode, New Order, OMD and Pet Shop Boys, as well as the larger-than-life arena-rock ambitions of U2, Coldplay, and even Arcade Fire.

Breton – War Room Stories CD/LP (Believe Recordings)

War Room Stories was written during a year spent touring incessantly and playing festivals across the world. It was recorded this summer at the Funkhaus in Berlin — a building with the same otherworldly weirdness as Breton’s beloved creative HQ, The Lab in south London. Breton also employed the services of the Macedonian Radio Symphonic Orchestra who appear on five tracks throughout the album. The band recorded the tracks earmarked for orchestration on a laptop, translated them into sheet music and flew to Macedonia where the 44 piece orchestra then played them live in the studio

Camper Van Beethoven signed with Virgin Records in 1988 and delivered a record, Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart, that defied those who thought the band might ‘sell out.’ The band returned the following year with what most deem their masterpiece Key Lime Pie. Once again produced by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Counting Crows), the album continued the journey into the world of CVB, but with higher production value and sound than had been heard before. Initial limited quantities of Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart are available on turquoise colored vinyl, while Key Lime Pie has been remastered across two LPs for higher fidelity with an added bonus track, and is pressed on key lime colored vinyl (initial limited quantities, with black to follow).

The Girls provide lilting, almost whimsical melodies about chemical hazes and love gone sour like a couple of f##ked up Shangri-las, to which Ryan Graveface added a bevy of grinding, multi-dimensional psych-rock synths that will be familiar to anyone with a Black Moth Super Rainbow record in their collection.

Cheatahs – Cheatahs CD/LP+CD (Wichita)

Cheatahs’ long-awaited new album is first and foremost an exploration of the possibilities of modern guitar music. A blend of ecstatic noise, ambient drone and visceral, ear-splitting alt-rock, combined with lyrics that touch on the complexities of relationships, nature, the city, memory, dislocation and self-identity, Cheatahs displays a giant creative leap from the lo-fi fuzz of the band’s first two EPs.

Eric Church – The Outsiders CD (Universal Nashville)

“Church name-checks Nirvana and The Clash in ‘That’s Damn Rock & Roll,’ his ode to rock’s ‘rebel revolution.’ But that thumper comes right after ‘Like A Wrecking Ball,’ a Southern soul burner that Percy Sledge would appreciate, and before ‘Dark Side,’ a meditative ballad with just a touch of menace; it’s Church’s best evocation of George Jones. The 36-year-old singer’s decade-long slow rise has made him as flexible as he is determined. The greatest thing about The Outsiders is its range, both in sound and in the stories he tells.” – NPR

Cibo Matto – Hotel Valentine CD (Virtual Label)

The ‘90s group returns with a fresh serving of kaleidoscopic grooves, demented horns, crazy synthesizers and funky-but-chic blasts of pure danceability on their first new album in eight years.

Clan Of Xymox – Matters Of Mind, Body And Soul CD (Metropolis)

In their long and storied history, Clan Of Xymox has developed a signature dark electro-gothic sound that has made the act adored around the world. With the new album, Matters Of Mind, Body And Soul, the band continues to expand on their signature melancholic sound.

Coil/Nine Inch Nails – Recoiled CD (Cold Spring Records)

Recoiled is a rambunctious alchemy of magical Coil sensibilities and hi-tech home circa ’90s mixing technique, all fused in the cave-like early studios of Danny Hyde/Peter Christopherson. These were the unrestrained pre-big studio mix downs of four songs which long time Coil admirer/collaborator Trent Reznor requested Coil to remix. Reznor sent over the original multi-tracks and DATs to Hyde/Christopherson, who independently mixed versions and then met to synch both creations, molding them into these master versions.

Dead Moon – In The Graveyard [Reissue/1988] CD (M’Lady)

Dead Moon – Unknown Passage [Reissue/1989] CD (M’Lady)

Dead Moon – Defiance [Reissue/1990] CD (M’Lady)

Remastered reissues of rare early recordings (previously reissued on vinyl by Mississippi) from the Oregonian punk rock legends.

Daley – Days & Nights CD (Universal Republic)

With his signature black frames and mohawk, Daley’s image already surmises his budding status as soul impresario for the 21st century. At only 24-years-old, the homegrown UK singer-songwriter is on his way to redefining the way R&B/Soul not only looks but sounds and feels.

Douyé – So Much Love CD (Betsy Blue Music)

Sophomore album from the Nigerian-born vocalist. On So Much Love, Douyé (pronounced Doe-Yay) pays homage to the mellow blend of silk and soul made iconic by artists such as Sade, Dianne Reeves, Chanti Moore, Regina Belle, and Rachelle Ferrell.

Robert Ellis – The Lights From The Chemical Plant CD/2xLP+MP3 (New West)

Robert Ellis’s second album continues his journey into folk music he began three years ago, with songs that range from the majestic string-adorned title track to noir pop rock and somber confessionals. Ellis recently told Rolling Stone The Lights From The Chemical Plant is “stylistically ambiguous,” as he is inspired by a wide variety of artists. “On this record I was trying to channel everything from Paul Simon.”

Bill Emerson – Banjo Man [Reissue/1996] CD (Pinecastle)

Bill Emerson is one of the most influential musicians in bluegrass music. This reissued album from 1996 features great guitar work from Tony Rice, and is one of Emerson’s most popular efforts throughout his 60-year history.

Exxasens – Satellites CD (Aloud)

Post-rock/post-metal from Barcelona, the new space shuttle for post-rock exploration.

Fanfarlo – Let’s Go Extinct CD/LP (Blue Horizon Venture)

There aren’t many bands that can combine the ambitions of progressive rock storytelling with the kind of hook-friendly accessibility demanded by today’s oft-distracted music listener. Fanfarlo can without sounding either pretentious or way out of their element (think a very European Okkervil River). They do it with ease, and the folky elements blend nicely with the contemporary production sounds on all of their releases, but maybe best yet on Let’s Go Extinct.

Neil Finn – Dizzy Heights CD/LP (Lester Records)

Third solo album from the New Zealand-based singer/songwriter best known for his work with Crowded House and Split Enz. Dizzy Heights was co-produced with Dave Fridmann (MGMT, Tame Impala, The Flaming Lips). “I didn’t want to make it a solo record in a stripped back singer/songwriter sort of way,” Finn says. “I had a feeling Dave would be good at adding some odd shapes to the music, which I always welcome — making things a little more expansive. He is good at subverting things, and making things sound a bit messed up and not as obvious, rather than being too tasteful, which is always a temptation.”

13 new tracks full of fuzz guitar and Farfisa organ riffs to satisfy everyone’s surf/garage/rockabilly/soul needs.

F##kin’ Bullocks – International Bikini All-Stars CD/LP (Bcore)

Call it rock, garage, folk, or blues — this is music made by and for outlaws.

The Glitch Mob – Love Death Immortality CD/2xLP+MP3 (Glass Air)

“If our last album was introverted, then the new one is definitely extroverted,” Justin Boreta explains of one of this year’s most anticipated electronic-music albums: The Glitch Mob’s Love Death Immortality. Boreta represents one-third of trio’s core members, alongside Ed Ma (aka edIT) and Joshua Mayer (aka Ooah). Together, this supergroup trio of instrumentalist/producers has created the ideal follow-up to their 2010 debut Drink The Sea.

Noah Gundersen – Ledges CD/LP (Dualtone)

At the tender age of 24, Noah Gundersen is already a young veteran who recorded his first album on his dad’s Tascam Studio 8 reel-to-reel home tape machine at 13. Born in the tiny town of Centralia, WA, Gundersen has honed his craft through a series of albums, both solo (with his sister Abby, an expert string player) and with their band The Courage. His latest album, Ledges, self-produced and recorded at Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard’s Studio Litho in Seattle.

Helms Alee – Sleepwalking Strangers CD/LP+MP3 (Sargent House)

“Seattle trio Helms Alee doesn’t really do dead weight: bassist Dana James, guitarist Ben Verellen and drummer Hozoji Matheson-Margullis all split singing and songwriting duties, oftentimes in the course of a single tune. ‘Tumescence’—the first cut off of their new third LP of wonderfully sticky pop-metal, Sleepwalking Sailors—thrives on the tension created by pushing these parts into a tight, three-minute space.” — Pitchfork

Hollow & Akimbo – Hollow & Akimbo CD/LP (Quite Scientific)

Sharing a fascination with old tape machines and strange sounds and recording in basements, bedrooms, attics, and closets, Hollow & Akimbo amassed an evolving archive of musical snippets, song fragments and a fair share of noisy four-track experiments — a shining example of the type of refined and unique electro-pop the duo is becoming known for.

Hurray For The Riff Raff – Small Town Heroes CD/LP (ATO)

Produced by frontwoman Alynda Lee Segarra and engineered by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes), Small Town Heroes features twelve new, original songs all written or co-written by Segarra, with support from a vivid cast of Crescent City musicians including her longtime right-hand-man on fiddle, Yosi Perlstein, keyboard player Casey McAllister, and two members of the Deslondes: Sam Doores on guitar and Dan Cutler on bass. “Singer Alynda Lee Segarra said the album isn’t just about New Orleans—it’s about her. She uses crisp country melodies to bear witness to the dreams and nightmares that come with living in a place like Louisiana.” – Paste Magazine

Illum Sphere – Ghost Of Then & Now CD/2xLP (Ninja Tune)

Ryan Hunn, aka Illum Sphere, is founder of Manchester’s renowned club night Hoya:Hoya, has remixed Radiohead, toured the world’s best club nights and released music on some of its finest imprints – 3024, Tectonic, Young Turks, and now Ninja Tune, where he’s found a long term home.

The Internet – Feel Good CD (Columbia)

While their first album, Purple Naked Ladies, consisted primarily of production and vocals, Feel Good sees founding members Matt Martians and Syd The Kyd expanding to a full band and a bolder sound. Additionally, The Internet worked with a range of guest vocalists and musicians such as Mac Miller, Yuna, and Jesse Boykins The III. They also worked with producers such as Thundercat, Chad Hugo (The Neptunes), and Grammy-nominated guitarist and producer Mike Einziger. “The album is a journey through funk and soul through the eyes of young adults trying to find their way.” — Syd Tha Kyd

Jamestown Revival – Utah CD/LP (Wild Bunch)

Texas-bred/Los Angeles-based self-described “back-porch folk-rock” duo Jamestown Revival formed in 2011 around the talents of childhood friends Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance. Growing up together in the small Texas town of Magnolia, Clay and Chance spent their formative years listening to artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Willie Nelson, the Everly Brothers, Guy Clark, and John Prine, each eventually carving out his own unique niche as a solo artist. The duo spent time in Austin before relocating to Los Angeles, where they began writing together in earnest.

Stacey Kent – Changing Lights CD (WB)

The Changing Lights is a musical journey through jazz, bossa nova and chanson, including a mixture of bossa nova classics from Tom Jobim, Marcos Valle, and also Roberto Menescal, who appears as a featured guest on the album.

Greg Laswell – I Was Going To Be An Astronaut CD (Vanguard)

I Was Going To Be An Astronaut finds Greg Laswell exploring his own back pages, as the acclaimed performer delivers striking new renderings of his most lasting compositions.

New album from the British jazz vocalist, her second to be released on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. This new, emotionally charged body of work sees her blossoming as a lyrically conscious songwriter, cementing what Until Tomorrow revealed — an artist composing original songs, telling her own stories, demanding attention for their daring brilliance.

Lubomyr Melnyk – Windmills CD (Hinterzimmer Records)

Windmills is a stunning tour de force and is Melnyk’s signature two-piano work, as it takes you through a dramatic and emotional sequence in the life of an old and battered windmill from the turning of its gears to its beautiful closing Finale.

Modern Baseball – You’re Gonna Miss It All CD/LP (Run For Cover)

Philadelphia’s Modern Baseball is a uniquely contemporary band. Their quirky, tuneful songs convey how it feels to be young and hopeless in modern America — a cracked cellphone clutched in one’s hand, subconsciously refreshing social media, hoping to get noticed by that girl at the party and ignored by the ghosts from high school past. Calling on Say Anything’s bravado, the Front Bottoms’ tongue-in-cheek quirk and the Weakerthans’ literary misery, Modern Baseball have made a record with remarkable depth and relate-ability.

Mark Mulcahy – Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You CD/LP (Fire)

“Mulcahy has had a creatively fruitful solo music career since, but in 2008, his wife died, leaving him with twin 3-year-old daughters. To meet the demands of single parenthood, he stopped recording and touring. A tribute album titled Ciao My Shining Star was released in 2009 to help raise money for him; it featured Michael Stipe, Thom Yorke, The National, Juliana Hatfield and many others singing Mulcahy’s songs. Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You is his first full-length album in eight years. It’s full of smart wordplay and Mulcahy’s unmistakable voice, but also driven by loss.” – NPR

The Names – In Time CD (Factory Benelux)

New album from the acclaimed Belgian new wave group best known for their association with Factory Records and producer Martin “Zero” Hannett.

Nostalgia 77 – A Journey Too Far CD/LP (Tru Thoughts)

A Journey Too Far sees the London based producer, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader further developing his creative partnership with German singer Josa Peit. Lead single “An Angel With No Halo” finds Lamdin melding inspirations from the English folk and psychedelic scene to the ’60s orchestral pop of Gainsbourg and Axelrod.

Opitope – Physis CD (Spekk)

Opitope is a duo by ambient master Chihei Hatakeyama and Tomoyoshi Date (from Illuha) and their first album Hau is still one of the best sellers in the Spekk catalog. Physis is their second album following their session recording album A Colony Of Kuala Mute Geeks which was taken with their fellow musicians, and seven years after the glorious Hau album.

Nina Persson – Animal Heart CD (The End)

Nina Persson, lead singer of The Cardigans and A Camp, presents her debut solo album. Vinyl version due March 18th.

Rod Picott – Hang Your Hopes On A Crooked Nail CD (Welding Rod Music)

The son of a welder from rural New England, Rod Picott is a masterful songwriter and soulful singer who carries with him as fine a suitcase of songs as you’ll find anywhere. A former construction worker who hung up his tools when he released his debut album in 2000, Picott has carved a career for himself with a run of six beautifully crafted self-released CDs over the last 13 years and a well-earned reputation as an engaging, emotion fueled performer.

Pinetop Perkins – On The 88s Live In Chicago CD (Kingston)

Grammy Award winner Pinetop Perkins was one of the last great Mississippi bluesmen. He

began playing blues in the late 1920s, and is widely regarded as one of the best, and certainly

the most enduring. This new release was recorded when he was 88 years young, in Chicago.

Perkins was still regularly touring the world when he passed away in 2011.

Digitally remastered twofer containing a pair of albums from one of the Netherland’s first heavy metal bands.

Plunky & Oneness – Never Too Late CD (Name Brand Records)

The 25th album from Afro-funk jazz veteran J. Plunky Branch and his backing group. Never Too Late is an ambitious 16-song collection of neo-soul, nu-jazz, and hip-hop songs about love, wisdom and purposeful partying.

Poemss – Poemss CD/2xLP+MP3 (Planet Mu)

Poemss is a new project from Toronto-based producer Joanne Pollack in collaboration with Aaron Funk (Venetian Snares).

Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life CD (Concord)

There should be no overlooking Beautiful Life, a journey of 12 songs which includes singularly memorable covers of Bob Marley’s “Waiting In Vain,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You” and Ani DiFranco’s self-empowering “32 Flavors.” Included in the rest of the tracks, which cover the spectrum from jazz to soul, are two new songs “Cold” and “Satiated” which are emotionally volcanic.

New release from the legendary jazz bassist. Quiet Pride features a 20-piece large ensemble, jazz-meets-classical masterwork composed, arranged, and conducted by Rufus. This five-of the highest order, whose work is featured in museums and public places around the country.

Sam Roberts Band – Lo-Fantasy CD/LP (Paper Bag)

Lo-Fantasy is Sam Roberts Band’s first new album in three years. Working for the first time with producer Youth (a.k.a. Martin Glover) whose credits range from The Verve’s Urban Hymns to Crowded House, as well as stints performing with Paul McCartney, The Orb, and post-punk outfit Killing Joke, Lo-Fantasy infuses Sam Roberts Band’s rousing brand of rock & roll with elements of funk, house, electronic, and African music. Available on CD and on limited edition gold vinyl featuring the bonus track, “Durban Days.”

Catherine Russell – Bring It Back CD (Jazz Village)

With Bring It Back, vocalist Catherine Russell digs deeper into a rich vein of musical treasures. Mining legendary collaborations between her father, Luis Russell and the great Louis Armstrong, Russell brings along her team from two previous chart-topping albums, the latest of which won the Prix du Jazz Vocal from L’academie du Jazz and Grand Prix du Hot Club de France. Gems from the jazz age and swing era, performed with new arrangements for ten-piece orchestra blend seamlessly with reinventions sourced from Blues icons Esther Phillips, Al Hibbler, Wynonie Harris and Little Willie John.

Kim Simmonds And Savoy Brown – Goin’ To The Delta CD (Ruf Records)

A new collection of boogies, shuffles, and the blues from a master of the genre(s).

Snowmine – Dialects CD (Mystery Buildings)

Snowmine share some insight on the recording process behind their new album Dialects: “To give you some background on the recording, there are no foreign samples on this album. Every single sound and orchestral moment was written, arranged, and recorded by us. The goal of the album was to capture a surreal ambiance that married hyper modern ambient synth tones with vintage ‘60s sounding cinematic orchestral motifs. We recorded a choir, strings, woodwinds, and reamped synths in a church to capture truly real stereo reverbs, so in headphones you can feel physical, not artificially created space.”

Solvent – New Ways: Music From The Documentary I Dream Of Wires CD/2xLP (Suction)

For the past three years, Solvent’s obsession with synthesizers and electronic music has taken him on a new path, a journey deep into the world of modular synthesizers. Serving as producer, co-writer and interviewer for I Dream Of Wires, a documentary about the history, demise and resurgence of the modular synthesizer, Solvent’s Jason Amm has played a pivotal role in creating one of the most talked-about and revered electronic music documentaries in recent years.

“Ms. Davies… has captured the Joplin sound perfectly and keeps the house rocking, rocketing through at least a dozen of Joplin s best-known songs, and singing them with a throbbing fervor that is often riveting.” — The New York Times

Wolfgang Strutz – Wolfgang Strutz CD (Emphasis)

Having made her first recording in grade school as half the pop duo Beethoven’s Duet, and performance beginning while attending high school in the techno duo Joey Baby Tonight, Madelyn Strutz aka: Wolfgang Strutz is no stranger to the Chicago eclectic music scene. As a music major at Columbia College, her formal education brought yet another side of expansion for Wolfgang. While studying the roots of modern, African, and American folk music, she found herself enlisting as a member of the Alternative folk band odd folk touring the Midwest.

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of this release from one of the first hardcore bands from Wisconsin. Suburban Mutilation played a whole lot of shows, put out demos, were on a lot of classic early-to-mid ’80s comps and released this full length in ’84. The CD not only has the original full length but also another 30 bonus tracks (some never even heard before) from 1981-1984 and includes a 16- page booklet containing lyrics, show flyers, photos and liner notes by Rev. Norb telling the story of the band from the start till the very end.

Sun Kil Moon – Benji CD (Caldo Verde)

Features guest musicians Steve Shelley, Jen Wood, Will Oldham, and Owen Ashworth. Double-CD version includes five track bonus disc and a lyric poster. “There are 11 songs on Sun Kil Moon’s astonishing sixth LP Benji, and in nearly all of them, somebody dies. Mark Kozelek wants us to know that they all lived, loved, fought, f##ked up, and often did the best they could. While Benji is consumed with death, sadness, and tragedy, there’s gratitude within this melancholy, and it’s Kozelek’s most life-affirming record.” BNM [9.2] – Pitchfork

Teitur – Story Music CD/LP (Arlo & Betty)

The sixth album from the critically-adored singer/songwriter. Teitur Lassen is from the Faroe Islands who resides in the UK. Teitur (pronounced “tie-tor”) originally left the Faroe Islands for Copenhagen when he was 17 after fronting a pop/rock band. He set upon writing music full-time and eventually caught the attention of former BMI executive Christian Ulf-Hansen, who became his manager. Teitur found himself opening for Suzanne Vega, Glen Phillips, Aimee Mann, and John Mayer amongst others.

Temples – Sun Structure CD (Fat Possum)

Looking like a West Coast psych band, Temples bear all the hallmarks of cosmic travelers. There’s the band name, for starters, there are track titles that sound like JG Ballard novels (Prisms, The Golden Throne, Sun Structures) and there’s the fact that they take incense sticks on the road with them. But if all of the above suggests Temples are backwards-lookin’, think again. The Kettering four-piece’s music is a mix of scuzzy glam stomp, dreamy, 12-string-drenched folk-rock, droning psych and more Vinyl version due February 25.

Thumpers – Galore CD/LP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

The London-based band duo creates colorful, exuberant alt-pop that celebrates their innate musical kinship and draws upon their shared childhood memories. Layered androgynous vocals are backed by muscular drums, astral synths, and shimmering guitars in a celebration of the breathless sensations of youth and coming of age.

Tinariwen – Emaar CD/2xLP+CD (Anti)

For Saharan blues band Tinariwen, the desert is home; their hypnotic and electrifying guitar rock reflects the melding of their Tuareg musical heritage with modern urban blues. Their 2011 album Tassili, recorded in the Algerian desert, won a Grammy Award for Best World Music album. Now their new record Emmaar returns to their roots, delivering stripped-down dirges and effervescent electric anthems.

Born in Seattle and based in Nashville, Kate Tucker + The Sons Of Sweden play lush, layered indie rock with sparkling melodies and shimmering soundscapes. “The Shape, The Color The Feel bristles with newfound urgency, guitarist Wes Chandler’s reverbed, Edge-influenced guitar lines serving as a powerful backdrop to Tucker’s lighter-than-air vocal presence on the punchy, perfectly modulated ‘Hangover’ and new single ‘Looking Around.’” – Direct Current

Unguided – Fragile Immortality CD (Napalm)

A highly dynamic and electrifying melodic death metal album. For fans of Five Finger Death Punch, Heaven Shall Burn, Devildriver, All Shall Perish.

Van Canto – Dawn Of The Brave CD/2xCD (Napalm)

Van Canto create unique “a cappella metal.” Only supported by a drummer, the German sextet offers the perfect blend of sweeping original songs and cover versions of legendary rock classics such as Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” and Europe’s “The Final Countdown.” Available in Regular and Deluxe Editions.

Soul Jazz Records’ new Punk 45 album charts the rise of underground punk across the US in the years 1973-1980. The album coincides with the release of the label’s massive new deluxe 400-page Punk 45s cover art book edited and compiled by Jon Savage (author of the seminal book on punk, England’s Dreaming) and Stuart Baker (founder of Soul Jazz Records). This compilation features a selection of seminal, classic, obscure and rare punk and proto-punk 7” singles from the likes of Pere Ubu, The Zeros, The Randoms, Electric Eels, The Pagans, The Deadbeats, The Lewd and many more.

Various Artists – Rough Guide To The Best African Music You’ve Never Heard 2xCD (World Music Network)

All of the artists featured on this unique Rough Guide present distinctive, original sounds emanating from Africa, selected exclusively from groups entering World Music Network’s Battle Of The Bands competition. Check out Tani Diakite’s brand of Afro-funk, Simo Lagwani’s Moroccan gnawa grooves and Wayo’s South Sudanese trance percussion.

DVD & Blu-ray:

Jeff Beck – The Jeff Beck Years DVD (Laser Media)

A collection of Jeff Beck performing with The Yardbirds, UPP and Jeff Beck Group in the ‘60s and ‘70s. 40 minutes.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Fifty By Four: Half A Century Of CSNY DVD (Pride)

This is CSNY’s story, a journey of breakthroughs, breakdowns, break-ups and incredible music. Featuring exclusive interviews, seldom-seen footage, classic and rare performances, and contributions from those who worked closely with CSNY across the years — including Dallas Taylor, Greg Reeves, Danny Kortchmar, Joe Lala, Chad Cromwell, Joe Vitale, The Albert Brothers, Bill Halverson plus many others.

Devo – The Complete Truth About De-Evolution DVD (MVD Visual)

Devo, the seminal new wave audio-visual concept band made a career out of setting to music video their dada-gone-camp theory of De-Evolution and its rebuke of corporate culture. Includes 19 music videos, rare performance footage, tons of extras and more. 60 minutes.

Eminem – The Marshall Plan 2xDVD (Pride)

This two-disc set traces the history of Eminem’s career by way of, firstly a DVD documentary covering his rise to the top, and a second disc overflowing with video interviews with the man himself taken from across his career to date.

P##sy Riot – A Punk Prayer DVD (New Video Group, Inc.)

Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin’s documentary. With unparalleled exclusive access, this film tells the incredible story of three young women: Nadia, Masha, and Katia, members of the feminist art collective Pussy Riot, who performed a 40-second “punk prayer” inside Russia’s main cathedral. This performance led to their arrest on charges of religious hatred.

Lou Reed – A Tribute 3xDVD (Chrome Dreams)

This triple-DVD set collects three separate films: The Velvet Underground – Under Review which covers the music and career of arguably rock music’s most influential collective; Punk Revolution NYC: The Velvet Underground, The NY Dolls & The CBGBs Set, which traces the entire history of New York’s punk scene; and The Sacred Triangle: Bowie, Iggy & Lou 1971-1973 which tells the story of how these three musical pioneers interwove at the beginning of each of their solo careers. 279 minutes.

Various Artists – Festival Express DVD/Blu-ray (Shout Factory)

In the summer of 1970, some of the era’s biggest rock stars took to the rails for Festival Express, a multi-artist, multi-city concert tour that captured the spirit and imagination of a generation. What made it unique was that it was portable; for five days, the bands and performers lived, slept, rehearsed and let loose aboard a customized train that traveled from Toronto, to Winnipeg, to Calgary, with each stop culminating in a mega-concert. The entire experience was filmed both off-stage and on, but the extensive footage and sound tapes of the events remained locked away for decades, only recently having been rediscovered and restored. Featuring The Band, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, and Buddy Guy. 90 minutes.

Vinyl:

Aa – VoyAager LP (Northern Spy)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “Big A little a” — one of the quintessential house bands of Brooklyn’s mid-aughts loft party/DIY scene — have returned with their first U.S. release since 2007. VoyAager expands dramatically on the band’s primordial polyrhythms and noise palette to embrace lush electronic psychedelia, enveloping vocal textures, and even unexpected, glittering explosions of pop melodicism.

Angry Samoans – Inside My Brain [Reissue/1980] LP (Drastic Plastic)

Angry Samoans – Back From Samoa [Reissue/1982] LP (Drastic Plastic)

Formed in 1978, the Angry Samoans are classic first wave L.A. punk at its finest. For fans of Black Flag, TSOL, Circle Jerks, and Fear. Inside My Brain is pressed on limited 150gm blood-spatter color vinyl, while Back From Samoa is pressed on HQ-200gm black vinyl.

Anti You – Blank Stares LP (Six Weeks)

Anti You take razor sharp, fast European hardcore influence from bands like Mob 47 and Raw Power and collide it with the intensely catchy sounds of the early L.A., D.C. and Boston 1982-84 scenes, channeling Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, and Jerry’s Kids while retaining originality and electrifying the punk world with a new set of classic punk songs for this current millennium.

Blowlfy – Black In The Sack LP (Patac)

Limited vinyl pressing of the 2012 album from the caped, masked, original dirty rapper, godfather of hip-hop, XXX-rated funk legend, party record king and The Maestro of The Miami Soul Sound. Black In The Sack is a hilarious romp through soul music history, which hilariously perverts the classic soul hits and also AC/DC and Black Sabbath as well. Tesco Vee appears on the album to narrate the insanity and Ohio sludge masters Fistula provide the soundtrack to a perverted rendition of Black Sabbath’s signature song entitled “Dick Stabbath.”

Channel Three – Fear Of Life [Reissue/1982] LP (Drastic Plastic)

Vinyl reissue from the ‘80s rock band, with limited initial quantities pressed on color vinyl. “This USA-based hardcore band comprised Mike Magrann (vocals, guitar), Kimm Gardner (guitar), Larry Kelly (bass) and Mike Burton (the most permanent of their first four drummers). Residents of the suburban community of Cerritos in south Los Angeles, they originally formed in 1980.” — AllMusic

David Crosby – Croz LP (Blue Castle)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Croz is David Crosby’s first studio album in over 20 years, a collection of 11 new tracks from one of America’s most notable singer/songwriters. The album features guest appearances from Wynton Marsalis, Mark Knopfler, Leland Sklar and Steve Tavaglione.

Crosses – +++ LP+MP3 (Sumerian)

Los Angeles, CA based trio Crosses features Chino Moreno on vocals (Deftones), Shaun Lopez (Far) and Chuck Doom. Two previous EP were released for free starting in 2011 and the second in 2012. (Limited quantities available on white vinyl.)

Jeremy Enigk – Vale Oso LP (Bcore)

The vinyl version of 2009’s OK Bear, which was the third solo album from the legendary Sunny Day Real Estate frontman.

The Ex – How Thick You Think b/w That’s Not A Virus 7” (Ex Records)

Two blinding new tracks by The Ex. The A-side is inspired by the short film Neighbours (Norman McLaren, 1952). Side B boasts a melodic and unique rhythm, freshly pulled out of the Dutch clay, sounding as if it already exists for 2000 years.

Exmortus – Slave To The Sword LP (Prosthetic)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Exmortus are an entity amongst themselves, and their music — both complex and thoroughly hook-laden — refuses to lend itself to easy categorization. From the technical death/thrash riffage and surgically precise drumming to their neo-classical, twin virtuoso lead guitar attack, fans of death metal, thrash, prog metal, traditional heavy metal and all true metal sub-genres alike enjoy having their craniums crushed by the fury of Exmortus.

Keel Her – Don’t Look At Me 7” (Critical Heights)

“Don’t Look At Me” features echoey vocals, tumbledown beats and a melody plucked from a battered Strat.

Lori Goldston – Creekside: Cello Solo LP (Mississippi)

Lurking around the NW music world for years playing with the likes of The Black Cat Orchestre, Earth, David Byrne, Terry Riley, Nirvana, and tons more, Goldston’s beautiful cello playing is here in it’s purest form: unaccompanied and acoustic. Warm, emotional pieces of music played by someone who really knows their way around the cello.

Le Mur – Silentia Nova LP (Sireena)

Heavy-dark-trip-rock with prog influences and space rock. The songs are heavy, partly grim (sometimes reminiscent of the Velvet Underground), with rampant instrumental sections a la Hawkwind.

Roy Montgomery/Grouper – Split 10” (Mississippi)

Repress of the extremely sought after split from these two well-loved ambient/drone folkies.

Mozes & The First Born – Mozes & The First Born LP (Burger)

Top shelf debut of Dutch jangly teenage garage pop perfection. CD version due February 25.

Mt. Royal – Mt. Royal EP 12”+MP3 (Bella Union)

Mt. Royal is a new psychedelic pop group from Baltimore, MD. The band comprises of Katrina Ford (vocals), Ed Harris (bass), Matt Pierce, (keys), Woody Ranere (guitar) and Mike Lowry (drums). Katrina is best known as the vocalist of Celebration, leading lights of Baltimore’s music scene.

Nausea – Condemned To The System LP (Deep Six)

New album from the grindcore band, recently released on CD – now available on vinyl.

New Coke – Duct Tape Your Mouth 7” (Black Gladiator)

Seven stiff black inches of terribly dark and uncomfortable lyrics, firmly planted on top of the catchiest tunes this side of the Reigning Sound. Relentless R&B fueled backbeats with gorgeous melodies.

Night Sun – No Pressure b/w On My Way 7”+MP3 (Burger)

Night Sun features members of Black Lips, Night Beats, and Curtis Harding.

A soulful and inspired hip-hop album by Chicago-bred, South Los Angeles-raised MC Open Mike Eagle. Entertaining the whole way through, Rappers Will Die Of Natural Causes combines strong harmonies, smart lyrics and multi-layered beats with Open Mike Eagle’s straightforward style.

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. “The leaders of the Scottish neo-pop uprising Orange Juice formed in Glasgow in late 1976. Originally dubbed the Nu-Sonics, the group comprised vocalist/guitarist Edwyn Collins, guitarist James Kirk, bassist David McClymont, and drummer Steven Daly; following the formation of the Postcard label by Collins protégé Alan Horne, the quartet renamed itself Orange Juice in 1979, adopting the new moniker as well as an aura of romantic innocence as a direct reaction to the increasingly macho aggression of punk” – AllMusic.

Panic Beats – Rest In Pieces LP (P. Trash)

More rotten slaughter punk — a frantic feast of 12 horror flick-inspired, Ramones-riff-drenched, and maniacally driven songs that leave nothing to the imagination.

Pink Wine – Pink Wine LP (P. Trash)

Take one part sucked blood from the Marked Men or Outtacontroller and one part pure sweat from Nobunny or Hunx, and set to an old fashioned tub filled with ice to take a header into and you got a good idea of what this record is all about. Wacky power pop punk.

Pop. 1280 – Thirteen Steps 7” (Blind Prophet)

Pop. 1280 takes the sonic palate of the bands like Cop Shoot Cop, Swans, or even The Contortions and put it thru a cyberpunk blender; somehow in the process managing to make catchy songs out of dissonant noise, scrap metal, synths and drums.

Poohbah – U.S. Rock [Reissue/1976] LP (Ripple Music)

“A blowout of English-power-trio and Rust Belt blues, with guitarist Jim Gustafson riffing in a thick-fuzz lather that will remind you, fondly, of Grand Funk Railroad’s Max Farner and the British ace Tony McPhee of the Groundhogs.” — David Fricke/Rolling Stone

Swedish Death punk & roll rebels Rawhide are pleased to spew forth Murder One, their first proper full-length. Spawned over a decade ago by guitarist/vocalist Robert and Captain Twofinger, the band tips its pints to the teachings of Motörhead, Turbonegro, Hellacopters and GG Allin.

Rockpile – Seconds Of Pleasure [Reissue/1980] LP+7” (Yep Roc)

Vinyl reissue comes with the original bonus 7”, a 4-song EP titled Nick Lowe & Dave Edmunds Sing The Everly Brothers, which was included in the first pressing. Though Rockpile managed only one, nigh-perfect album at the height of the ’80s new wave boom, its members — Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams — had played together in various incarnations, in some instances for over a decade: Edmunds and drummer Williams had been in the ’60s power trio Love Sculpture; all had played on Lowe’s ’78 album Jesus Of Cool and Edmunds’s ’79 collection Repeat When Necessary.

Snowbird – Moon LP (Bella Union)

Released last week on CD – now available on vinyl. “The creative union of former Cocteau Twin and current Bella Union label boss Simon Raymonde and Wisconsin-born singer/songwriter Stephanie Dosen was always likely to give birth to something of beauty. In that respect, Moon fully lives up to its billing. Under the name Snowbird, the duo has crafted an intricate set of graceful songs that simply glide off Raymonde’s piano and Dosen’s tongue. As sensual as it is enigmatic, the album is a product of a long-distance nighttime liaison between the pair, with Raymonde laying down instrumental tracks after sundown to send to the North Carolina-based Dosen, who would improvise vocals over them and post the results back to London.” – Consequence Of Sound

Soft Science – Detour LP+MP3 (Test Pattern)

Soft Science, from Sacramento, California, creates a unique form of dream pop, inspired by ’90s shoegaze and ’60s British pop. Pop Matters said in a recent review that the band “has the potential to become one of the great Left Coast power pop bands.”

Speedy Ortiz – Real Hair LP+MP3 (Carpark)
On Speedy Ortiz’s Real Hair, the band sets a course between the knotty discord of debut album Major Arcana and the pop bonafides of the preceding Sports EP, while subtly adding new techniques to their songbook. Guitarists Sadie Dupuis and Matt Robidoux brought on additional guitar effects to color the roundabout feel of “Oxygal,” and bassist Darl Ferm and drummer Mike Falcone hit hard to deliver the jump-in-the-pit urgency of “American Horror.” With Real Hair, Speedy Ortiz once again taps into the four-part chemistry that brought their prior outings praise. Limited edition orange vinyl with Speedy Ortiz-designed temporary tattoos.

Toundra – III LP (Aloud)

Debut LP from instrumental hardcore band, recalling Isis, Mogwai, and a less metal Tool but never so much as to sound outdated or used.

Vånna Inget – Ingen Botten LP (P. Trash)

Sharp guitar riffs and shimmering organ melodies woven together with an attentive and dynamic rhythm section, with plenty of room to move within the arrangements. A unique meeting between raw, punkish nerve and melodic sensibility, turning claustrophobic themes of confinement and desperation into something that feels uplifting and liberating.

Vardlokk – Skraelingjahlaut 7” (Outer Battery)

With driving doom riffs, laden with layers of guitar, bass fuzz, and Norwegian growled choruses, Vardlokk tells the story of the Vikings in Vinland (Newfoundland) in the year 1000 A.D. Limited edition white vinyl.

Weekend Nachos – Still LP (Deep Six)

New release from Chicago’s hateful hardcore warriors. Still is an album filled with punishing power violence. Absolutely crucial negative, hateful gardcore for fans of Infest and Nails.

Whiskey Myers – Early Morning Shakes LP (Wiggy Thump)

Recently released on CD – now available on vinyl. Whiskey Myers make honest music. Loud and proud, they sing about what they know with a refreshing directness and clarity. Some call it rebel music, but it’s more like everyday soul. Their songs are stories, with relatable characters and situations. Stories of celebration, of mourning, of trials and triumph.